Merger out, ongoing fire district talks in

NORWICH – The Town of Norwich Board wants locals to examine sharing inter-municipal services and shunned the idea of a Greater Norwich merger by opting out of a state-run government consolidation study initiated by Governor Eliot Spitzer.

Rather than participate in Spitzer’s merger study, the town board passed a resolution at its monthly meeting Monday proposing that community members and leaders from the Town of North Norwich, Norwich, and City of Norwich heat-up what have become cold discussions about creating a three-municipality fire district. If that goes well, Supervisor David C. Law says the three governments could look at combining other services, like health benefit plans, a water sewer authority and youth programs.